TRANSFORMING CARE ••• THE AHS WAY Alexandra Health System Annual Report 2016/2017 Contents 2 Message from Chairman 4 Board of Directors 6 Senior Management 8 Heads of Department 9 The Alexandra Health Story 19 Living Well, Loving Life 25 Turning Illness Into Wellness 31 When Illness Strikes 39 Living and Dying with Dignity 49 Research and Education 53 Our People: The Heart of AHS 61 Creating A Healing Environment 66 Green Report Card 67 Operational Highlights 68 Awards 70 Clinical Research Awards 72 Journal Publications OUR VISION Help our people live a long, healthy life and support them with thoughtful, dignified care to the end. OUR MISSION Provide good quality, affordable and hassle-free healthcare with science, love and wisdom. OUR CARE PHILOSOPHY Care that is good enough for our own mothers without making special arrangements. 2 TRANSFORMING CARE Message from Chairman The impetus to transform care the Alexandra organisations, the three Wellness Kampungs Health System (AHS) way can be traced back started operations in April 2016. They to the transformation story of Alexandra encourage ageing in place for residents by Hospital (AH) in the year 2000. The enabling a network of communal spaces management team, under the leadership of with various programmes where seniors then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Liak can gather and support each other in Teng Lit, successfully transformed the little physical exercises and do-it-yourself style hospital into one that topped the annual rehabilitation. Community nurses stationed Patient Satisfaction Survey by the Ministry at these spaces maintain a reassuring and of Health (MOH) for six consecutive years. motivating presence for both volunteers and With its physical transformation, AH also residents receiving support. These work in made a name for itself as a healing oasis for tandem with the existing Ageing-in-Place patients. The management team’s relentless home visits by our Community Care Team. pursuit to reinvent healthcare culminated in the building of our integrated regional health Yishun Community Hospital (YCH) officially ecosystem in the northern Singapore. opened on 28 November 2016. Care at YCH focuses on helping patients regain their independence so they can manage well CARING FOR when they return home. In shifting beyond SINGAPORE RESIDENTS good quality rehabilitative and sub-acute The year 2016 marked a major shift as care to what is meaningful to patients, we made significant inroads into the YCH collaborated with different partners to community. We brought access to health introduce various activities and programmes and healthcare closer to residents with that enhance patient recovery. One of the opening of three Wellness Kampungs. them is the monthly inter-generational Managed in collaboration with St Luke’s programme by pre-schoolers from The Little Elder Care and Nee Soon grassroots Skool-House By-The-Lake. The children 3 bring liveliness to the wards while the A NEW CHAPTER quality time spent with the elderly provide In January 2017, MOH announced the re- valuable interaction with those who have organisation of the public healthcare system experienced life in its richness. and AHS will be merged with National Healthcare Group by the end of this year. In the acute care setting, Khoo Teck Puat The merged entity will offer a comprehensive Hospital (KTPH) continues to improve the range of services that encompasses acute delivery of hassle-free care. The waiting and community hospital care, primary time at KTPH Emergency Department for care, home and community care as well as admission to inpatient wards reduced with medical education. This change presents the opening of the Extended Diagnostic an opportunity to collaborate and scale & Treatment Unit. More initiatives were up AHS’s strengths in promoting health, implemented to deliver rapid diagnosis and wellness and community engagement acute treatment, resulting in better recovery across geographical boundaries. outcomes and shorter length of stay for patients. These initiatives include the set-up As we step into a new chapter, I would like of an Acute Medical Unit, early mobilisation to thank AHS’s Board of Directors past and of Intensive Care Unit patients, and a system present for their support throughout our for emergency surgery and trauma care. In journey. Our Group CEO Mr Liak played a a step forward to better manage complex major role in the AHS story of transforming and chronic disease conditions, KTPH’s care over the past 17 years. His vision and specialist outpatient clinics will be extending leadership shaped the northern regional their services into the housing estate with health system into what it is today. On behalf the opening of Admiralty Medical Centre of the AHS Board, I wish him well as he (AdMC) in July 2017. embarks on his new endeavours outside of the public healthcare sector. AHS is on track to building an integrated health ecosystem in the North. Woodlands I would also like to express my appreciation Health Campus (WHC), the first hospital in to MOH, government agencies, our Woodlands, broke ground on 18 April 2017. community partners and friends. In the Set to open progressively from 2022, the ensuing pages of this report, we chronicle new health campus will be an expansive the story of AHS in transforming care and healing environment that comprises an fulfilling our mission. These achievements integrated acute and community hospital, would not have been possible without the specialist outpatient clinics and a long-term guidance and support of our partners. care facility. In the spirit of transformation for OUR PEOPLE sustainable health care, we are excited to turn the page and start a new one. The story I take this opportunity to congratulate of AHS is evolving, but our vision remains – three of our outstanding clinicians. YCH’s to help our people live a long, healthy life Chairman of the Medical Board, Associate and support them with thoughtful, dignified Professor (A/Prof) Pang Weng Sun was care throughout their lives. recognised with the National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award. Professor C. Rajasoorya and A/Prof Sum Chee Fang were lauded with the inaugural Distinguished Ms Jennie Chua Senior Clinician Award conferred by MOH. Chairman, Alexandra Health System 4 TRANSFORMING CARE Board of Directors Ms Jennie Chua Chairman, Alexandra Health System Ms Mavis Khoo Mr Seah Moon Ming Mr Robert Chew Mr Ramlee Bin Buang Mr Douglas Foo Ms Teoh Zsin Woon Chairman's photo: © 2015 SPH Magazines Pte Ltd. Reproduced with permission. 5 Mr Tan Boon Khai Prof Chee Yam Cheng Mr Tow Heng Tan Ms Chu Swee Yeok Mr Anthony Seah Dr Quek Peng Kiang Mr Liak Teng Lit Mr Roger Leong Company Secretary We would like to thank Mr Anthony Seah and Dr Quek Peng Kiang (till 30 September 2016) for their contribution. 6 TRANSFORMING CARE Senior Management Mr Liak Teng Lit Mrs Chew Kwee Tiang Dr Pauline Tan Group Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Alexandra Health System Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Yishun Community Hospital Mr Roger Leong Ms Magdalene Chai Dr Wong Sweet Fun Mr Alvin Ong Chief Financial Officer, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Chief Transformation Officer, Chief Information Officer, Alexandra Health System Alexandra Health System Alexandra Health System, Alexandra Health System Deputy Chairman, Medical Board, Yishun Community Hospital & Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Dr Howard Foo Ms Caroline Lim Ms Cheong Choy Fong Mr Bastari Irwan Senior Director, Clinical Manpower Director, Alexandra Health Director, Quality Management Office, Director, Transformation Office, Planning, Alexandra Health System Institute and Group Alexandra Health System Alexandra Health System & Chief, Corporate Services, Corporate Communications, Woodlands Health Campus Alexandra Health System 7 Dr Jason Cheah A/Prof Pang Weng Sun A/Prof Pek Wee Yang Chairman, Pro-tem Chairman, Medical Board, Chairman, Medical Board and Planning Committee, Yishun Community Hospital & Senior Consultant, General Medicine, Woodlands Health Campus Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Ms Low Beng Hoi Ms Yen Tan Mr Samuel Ng Chief Nurse, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Alexandra Health System Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Yishun Community Hospital & Senior Director, Special Projects, Alexandra Health System Dr Wong Moh Sim A/Prof Terence Tang Mr Donald Wai Mr Lim Theam Siew Deputy Chairman, Medical Board, Deputy Chairman, Medical Board, and Director, Hospital Planning, Director, Corporate Development Head and Senior Consultant, Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, Alexandra Health System and Business Office, Laboratory Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Alexandra Health System Khoo Teck Puat Hospital We would like to thank Mr Liak Teng Lit (till 31 March 2017) for his contribution. 8 TRANSFORMING CARE Heads of Department KHOO TECK PUAT HOSPITAL 1. Dr Sanjay Patel 12. Dr Chan Keen Loong Head and Senior Consultant, Head and Senior Consultant, Acute & Emergency Care Centre Psychological Medicine 2. Dr Edwin Seet 13. A/Prof Tan Kok Yang Head and Senior Consultant, Anaesthesia Head and Senior Consultant, General Surgery 3. Dr Lee Chee Wan 14. Dr Colin Teo Head and Senior Consultant, Cardiology Head and Senior Consultant, Urology 4. Dr Wu Loo Cheng 15. A/Prof Lim Su Chi Head and Senior Consultant, Dental Surgery Head and Senior Consultant, Clinical Research Unit 5. A/Prof Subramaniam Tavintharan 16. Dr Michael Wong Director, Diabetes Centre Head and Senior Consultant, Health for Life Centre 6. Prof Wilfred Peh 17. Dr Doreen Tan Head and Senior Consultant, Diagnostic Radiology Chief Pharmacist and Head, Pharmacy 7. Dr Phoa Lee Lan 18. Ms Jenny Goh Head and Senior Consultant, General Medicine Head, Medical Social Services 8. Dr Angeline Seah 19. Ms Ng Lih Yen Head and Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine Head, Rehabilitative Services 9. A/Prof Yip Chee Chew 20. Ms Gladys Wong Head and Senior Consultant, Chief Dietitian and Head, Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Nutrition & Dietetics Department Dr David Loke 10.